Login
iscover
According to the state’s consumer affairs department, the taskforce dedicated to cracking down on dodgy rentals will be out in force in the year ahead.
Consumer Affairs Victoria’s (CAV) renting taskforce was on the ground in Footscray, in Melbourne’s inner west, on the first full weekend in December, sending a message to rental providers that the state is paying attention to rental standards even as the holiday season approaches.
Having launched similar actions in Clayton in August, Fitzroy in October, and Werribee in November, the state turned its attention to Footscray. Like the other suburbs that have seen a rental inspection “blitz” conducted by the rental taskforce, Footscray is home to a high proportion of rentals.
The state has been using tips received via its anonymous online complaint page to inform the areas targeted for rental inspections. The actions are set to continue, with CAV promising more targeted inspections in the new year.
During these so-called “blitzes”, inspectors are examining rental properties currently available for lease to ensure that the state’s minimum standards are being met, such as that the property contains a functional kitchen and lockable external doors, while being structurally sound and watertight.
Allowing a new renter to move into a property that doesn’t meet the minimum standards is an offence, with maximum penalties of more than $11,000 for individuals and more than $59,000 for companies.
In 2025, the state will be seeking to update the regulations so that penalties can be levied against rental providers who are advertising substandard properties for let.
Since being established in March, the state’s taskforce has reportedly issued more than 55 fines, totalling more than $540,000 for breaches of rental laws, including advertising properties without a fixed price, failing to meet minimum standards and not lodging bonds.
In the year ahead, beyond conducting regular blitzes, the taskforce will be monitoring the market, reviewing reports from the public and following up on reported issues, according to the watchdog.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
You are not authorised to post comments.
Comments will undergo moderation before they get published.